21 Unexpected Things to Declutter
Minimalist living isn't only about purging your wardrobe. It's not just about packing carry-on only when you travel. It's also about making sure you keep certain things, and leave other things out of the bag you take with you on this journey called life.
Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
Today I'm sharing 21 unexpected things to edit out of your life.
By ditching these things, you can live with more lightness and enlightenment. More delight and less drama.
What to Declutter:
Chronic stress
Guilt
Your inner critic
Your outer critic
Perfectionism
Blaming
Intolerance
Lying
Resentment
Hate
Chronic self-doubt
Procrastination
Paralyzing fear
Self-pity
Confining conformity
Violent action
Violent communication
Living in another moment that isn't now
Waiting for another time to pursue your dreams
Trying to be someone other than you
Hating on your body (stop right now forever)
The problem with keeping the above around is that they crowd out what you really want. Life is short. Our days are short. There's really not much space for the above things if you want to deeply experience what’s on this next list.
What to Keep for a Fulfilling Life:
Love
Gratitude
Self-care
Friends
Passion
Forgiveness
Creativity
Empathy
Kindness
Abundance
Delight
Serenity
Playfulness
Honesty
Beauty
Laughter
Compassion
Life's a Short Trip
Advertisers, ego, and pain will try to make you think you need to bring everything on the first list along for the ride of your life, but you don't. That stuff will make your life way too crowded. When it comes down to it, we have 100% responsibility for what we choose to bring with us and what we leave behind. Choose wisely. Curate well.
If you liked this post, tap the heart button below, and if you want to share it, there’s a button for that too. Please share this blog as a way of helping others simplify to live their best lives.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet for the free 3-Day Decluttering Challenge, you have a chance to do so below. You’ll get a three-day burst of inspiration and instruction, plus The Simple Sunday, my weekly note about editing your life for more joy.
This is an updated version of an earlier post.
Minimalism: a Basic Definition
We’ve all got different ideas of what minimalism means.
Today I'm sharing my definition through a free excerpt from my book, Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health, and Creativity.
Whether you've read the book or not, this is a great reminder of the place I think minimalism should have in our lives. Bottom line? My brand of minimalism is all about joy. (Not perfection or all-white furniture.)
What is Minimalist Living?
Let’s start by talking about the word behind the phrase “minimalist living.”
Minimalism.
The word “minimalism” comes to us from the world of art and design. It’s the less-is-more aesthetic that you’ve experienced if you’ve ever been in an art museum and found yourself pondering a canvas simply painted in one solid color.
I use minimalism here to describe a similar attitude toward our stuff, our thoughts, and our lives. When I talk about minimalism, I mean something that is different for each person. Although minimalism in this context isn’t the term used to describe a certain style of art or design, some of the connotations from that world can inform our definitions of minimalism. For example, to some, minimalism means clean lines, white space, simplicity, and a less-is-more mentality. But that conventional definition of minimalism won’t necessarily apply to everyone as they think about what kind of place they want their home to be or what they want their life to look like.
Within this context, what do we mean exactly when we say “I’m a minimalist?”
Well, the answer varies for each person, but first and foremost, a minimalist lifestyle is about increasing your joy through simplicity. It’s all about what gives your life meaning and makes you happy, and nothing more.
What Minimalism Is and Isn't
Minimalism is:
• Letting go of that which does not serve you.
• Designing your life based on how you want to live it, not the expectations of others.
• Letting go of negative or obsessive thoughts.
• Looking around and seeing your personality reflected in your living
space.
• Being surrounded by colors and textures that make you feel good.
• Putting furniture in rooms to reflect how you really live, instead of how other people live.
• Creatively using one item for more than one purpose.
• Borrowing from friends or neighbors, or renting, if you use something rarely.
• Giving unused things away now, not later.
• Knowing that you have what you need and it is enough.
• Spending money on experiences and adventures.
Minimalism is not:
• Saying “yes” to every request on your time.
• Keeping things out of guilt or a sense of loyalty to someone.
• Making sure your home looks like it could be in a décor magazine (unless that’s truly your passion).
• Having a couch and a TV just because everyone else does.
• Having a gadget for every possible whim you might have.
• Filling an attic, garage, or basement with things for the kids in case they ever want them.
• Keeping something because it’s easier than recycling it or giving it away.
• Keeping something only because it’s worth a lot of money.
• Renting a personal storage unit long term.
• Spending money on possessions that require maintenance or management.
Do these lists help you define minimalism for yourself?
I hope you found this post to be a great reminder of why you're part of the simple living movement and of what minimalism can do for you.
If you liked this post, tap the heart button below, and if you want to share it, there’s a button for that too. Please share this blog as a way of helping others simplify to live their best lives.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet for the free 3-Day Decluttering Challenge, you have a chance to do so below. You’ll get a three-day burst of inspiration and instruction, plus The Simple Sunday, my weekly note about editing your life for more joy.
This is an updated version of an earlier post.
5 Ways to Declutter Your Digital Life
This is a guest post by Jenn Baxter, author of Live a F.a.s.t. Life: How Stripping Down and Cleaning Up Gave Me My Life Back.
When you think about decluttering, what comes to mind? Most likely, an image of an overstuffed garage, a dusty old attic or a closet overflowing with clothes.
But there’s a whole other world of decluttering that you may have never thought about, that will indeed change your life: decluttering your digital world.
In today’s hi-tech, social media and device-obsessed society, we basically have two worlds - one that exists in the electronic realm and one that exists IRL. (That is how you know what that means, after all.)
Our IRL world may seem like the most obvious place to downsize and declutter. But, even though we may not be as consciously aware of it, our digital worlds can easily become cluttered too.
If we’re not careful, our inboxes become flooded with thousands of emails. Our phones become so overloaded with apps that we have to keep upgrading our storage. And even our computer desktops get so overloaded with icons that we can hardly see that beautiful background of a beach cabana anymore.
But the cool (and exciting) thing is, our digital worlds are actually easy to declutter and require a lot less heavy lifting than taking all of Aunt Susie’s old cookbooks down to Goodwill. You can do most of these decluttering steps from the comfort of your couch or your bed.
However, the freedom and release that you’ll experience afterward will have you feeling like you’ve just run a marathon.
So, let’s get started.
1. Clean up your desktop
You know how it’s easier to cook when you’re starting with a clean, uncluttered countertop? The same is true for decluttering your computer. Before you even dive in to any of the programs or folders on it, you need to start with the first thing you see - your desktop. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably saved a couple dozen (or hundred) things to your desktop over time that you want to be able to easily come back to. Only problem is, you’ve now saved so many shortcuts, that the time it takes to find anything isn’t so short anymore.
Take some time now to go through all of them (yep, every last one) and decide if it’s still something you need. If not, delete it. Remember, these are shortcuts, not the actual files or pages, so you’re determining whether you need to keep a shortcut to it. You can still keep the original file in a folder on your hard drive. Make sure you also go through any URL shortcuts you’ve saved and decide whether you use them frequently enough to warrant a shortcut on your desktop. If not, you can still go into the page and save it as a bookmark on your browser for easy access.
After you’ve finished, now arrange the icons that are left into a logical design. For instance, you may want to group all of your personal shortcuts on one side of the screen and all of your business icons on the other. This will also help save you time, which is kind of the whole point, right?
2. Go through your programs, folders and temporary files
If you find yourself sitting in front of a computer that’s so slow you’re beginning to wonder if you’ve time-travelled back to 1980, you may have downloaded one too many freebies or plug-in apps. This is another very common thing that we all do - visit a page and download a PDF (usually to our desktop), thinking we are going to consult it all the time, only to never look at it again. Now is the time to clear out all of those old documents, files, folders and programs that you never use. You can also go into your computer’s temporary files (or cache) and clear it as well for some more speed and efficiency.
Feeling uber-gutsy? Go ahead and empty your Recycle Bin too. Gasp!
3. Clean out your email inbox
Oh the infamous inbox... where thousands of emails go to die. Now, this one may seem a little overwhelming and it may take a little more time, but I promise you... you can do it and it WILL be worth it! If you have hundreds or thousands (please don’t tell me tens of thousands) of emails sitting in your inbox, don’t you think it’s about time to go through them? Hopefully, many of them are trash, so it’s as simple as hitting delete on those. Mark spam emails appropriately and unsubscribe from any email newsletters you no longer wish to receive. You can also use a free app like “Unroll.me” to consolidate them into a single digest email that will unclutter your inbox. Then, for those emails that you want to keep, set up a few folders for different categories (like bills, family, work, etc.) and file them into the appropriate folder. This will not only help you to find them more easily later, but also keep your inbox clean, which, once you do it, will help you to feel less stressed and overwhelmed.
4. Declutter your social media platforms
Whether you’re a full-blown social media junkie or just an occasional user, your networking platforms can probably use a little cleaning up too. First, go through and delete any programs that you don’t even use. Then, go through each one that’s left and clean out your “friends” or contacts lists. (You know you don’t really have 1,000 friends in real life... don’t even try.) This is also a great time to unfriend or remove those people whose posts you find offensive or disturbing. You don’t need that kind of thing assaulting you on a daily basis, so get rid of it!
5. Give your phone a break
Last, but surely not least... your phone - another digital space where we tend to deal with “clutter” by simply getting a faster one or a bigger memory card, when all we need to do is a little decluttering. Go through your contacts list and delete any that you are no longer in contact with or no longer need. If there’s no need to keep all of those old numbers in your phone log, go ahead and delete those too. Delete old, unneeded text messages and save any that you do want to keep to the Cloud. If you have tons of photos cluttering up your phone, clear them out by getting rid of ones you don’t need and downloading ones you want to keep to a digital photo frame or a photo printing app. Most importantly, go through all of the apps that you’ve downloaded to your phone and delete any that you haven’t used in the last three months (or ever). Not only will your phone start to feel cleaner and more organized, but you’ll miraculously have a faster phone without the upgrade fees!
Jenn Baxter is an accomplished speaker, freelance writer and the author of the book, Live a F.a.s.t. Life: How Stripping Down and Cleaning Up Gave Me My Life Back, which is available here.
Double-click to edit…
She has been published in numerous print and online publications and appears at tiny house festivals, healthy living festivals and private engagements across the country, speaking on the subjects of downsizing & minimalism, clean eating, healthy living and spiritual health. She appeared on HGTV’s “Tiny House Big Living,” is a regular guest on the NBC morning show “Charlotte Today” on WCNC-TV and has also appeared as a guest on several tiny house-themed podcasts including The Purpose Show, the Tiny House Podcast and Tiny House Canada. Visit her website to learn more.
If you liked this post, tap the heart button below, and if you want to share it, there’s a button for that too. Please share this blog as a way of helping others simplify to live their best lives.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet for the free 3-Day Decluttering Challenge, you have a chance to do so below. You’ll get a three-day burst of inspiration and instruction, plus The Simple Sunday, my weekly note about editing your life for more joy.
This is an updated version of an earlier post.
Peeling Back the Layers
Guest post by Tara Causland“Have patience in all things—but first of all, with yourself. ”
— St. Francis de Sales
I’ve had a long term intention towards decluttering.
I’ve read articles and books on simplicity. I’ve watched everything from TLC’s Clean Sweep in the mid-2000s to Netflix’s recent Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. I love seeing the before and after transformations of people’s living spaces. Watching these, I feel renewed in my motivation to make my own space as lovely and clear as these professionally organized nirvanas.
Here’s the thing, though: my clutter hasn’t gone away in one phase of decluttering frenzy. Things accrued over years of filing without purging and piling without reviewing. Over years of putting off deciding what to do with this gift or that purchase. Ridding myself of all of it can’t be shown in a single, tidy episode of televised glory.
And that is okay.
When I began participating in Genevieve Parker Hill’s guided minimalist opportunities, like her 30-Day Map to Get Rid of Your Crap, it provided me clearer structure in how to address my clutter. The frequent catch was—not unlike friends, family, and many of you reading this—I had emotional hurdles to overcome before I was ready to let go of certain things.
At one point, I talked to Genevieve about how each round of decluttering felt like I was peeling back the layers. Each time I went through the effort, I was able to let go of more. It felt like a process of emotional and physical excavation.
Pulling off one layer of things gave me space to examine whether I was ready to send off other things. Plus, decluttering became easier as I’ve made it a habit.
The emotional toll of going through old paperwork can be especially challenging. I’ve found things in old files or boxes that felt like an internal bomb went off. You know those sorts of things—letters from someone who’s no longer in your life, a note from a family member, a paper you wrote that earned you an opportunity, goals you’d listed that didn’t happen when you’d hoped.
Those heightened good and bad emotions swirl. They can delay your ability to decide how to handle the item while you’re too overwhelmed with handling your internal response to it.
On top of all of that, decision fatigue is real. Going through multiple file drawers’ worth of paperwork taxes your mind and energy. Papers, which can cling tightly to each other in a tiny space, manage to be the densest of clutter. One thing I do for decision fatigue when I go through a file and realize I’m hesitating a lot is to put aside the things I am certain I don’t want to keep. Then I put the things I’m having a harder time deciding about into another pile.
Then I get rid of the pile I am sure I don’t want or need! Shred, recycle, toss it. I don’t want to let it slip back into a space where I will have to go through it again. I’ve peeled back that layer and it’s OK to let it go.
On the next round you’ll be able to let go of some items you couldn’t before. Sometimes you just need to be ready to acknowledge that something is no longer serving you. Other times, you may realize a good use for an item that you hated to throw away or thought of someone else who needs it.
As you declutter, you learn what you really need. You can gain confidence and perspective in making decisions. Just take it one layer at a time. The weight that’s lifted will help you breathe again and make the layers to come less daunting.
Knowing that I’m doing the best that I can and at least getting closer to the goal I want gives me comfort and motivation to keep going.
The truth is decluttering needs to remain a lifetime habit. It is all too easy to tuck away papers in file cabinets and other items in drawers and cupboards and end up with decades’ worth of things you didn’t look at again.
So keep at it and be kind to yourself. A little progress is still progress.
Tara Causland is a freelance writer and script analyst who appreciates compelling storytelling and loves to make people laugh. When she emerges from decluttering escapades, she enjoys visiting gardens, traveling, rabbit advocacy, and adventures with friends or family.
You can find her on Twitter @taracausland.
If you liked this post, tap the heart button below, and if you want to share it, there’s a button for that too. Please share this blog as a way of helping others simplify to live their best lives.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet for the free 3-Day Decluttering Challenge, you have a chance to do so below.
These Apps Help You Decrease Paper Clutter
Today's post is a visual guest post.
Karlie Kramer, who helped create this infographic, writes, "Hi Genevieve, I just read your piece on how to minimize paper clutter from bills and taxes and thought it was so helpful. Whenever I receive something important in the mail I'm always scared to throw it away or shred it — even though 90% of the time I totally could.
Since I can tell you’re passionate about fostering a clutter-free zone, I thought you’d appreciate this new visual I helped create on the best apps for digitizing your life and tidying up.
It covers the benefits and features of 15 apps for decluttering, scanning documents, and taking home inventory.
Whether you’re:
moving,
organizing, or
taking a record of all your belongings,
There’s an app that’ll simplify your life and reduce clutter."
The image below was created on behalf of Esurance but I have no business or financial relationship with them. I’ve never purchased a policy from them.
I'm sharing because I think this image is a really helpful resource.
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Did you find this post helpful? If so, tap the heart button below. If you want to share it, there’s a button for that too. Please share this blog as a way of helping others simplify to live their best lives.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet for the free 3-Day Decluttering Challenge, please do so below. You’ll get a three-day burst of inspiration and instruction, plus The Simple Sunday, my occasional newsletter on how to edit your life for more joy.
Introducing Experience Over Stuff
[UPDATE] My new book, Experience Over Stuff: How to Live Free in a World that Wants to Clutter You Up is now available on Amazon for the Kindle device and app.
About the Book
Acquiring. Accumulating. Collecting. These activities satisfy a primal need to feel secure, safe, and in control. But is this how we envisioned our lives? Spending this much time and money to get stuff and take care of possessions? Or did we imagine a life with more freedom?
We need things to live well. But owning too much make us unwell in body, mind, and spirit. Owning too much diverts and distracts us from our own unique purpose.
Decluttering is an excellent goal. However, if we don't deal with the beliefs and anxiety that make us think more stuff equals more happy, we'll simply jump back into shopping to fill the void once our home is decluttered. The essence of minimalism is clearing space to follow your own path.
This book delves into why we buy things we do not need, use, or enjoy. It’s an exploration of how we can replace the false belief that more stuff will make us happier with something deeper and truer. Sometimes our mindset needs an overhaul more than our home organization system.
Get out of the vicious cycle of shopping, anxiety, decluttering, and more shopping with this guide from the bestselling author of Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health, and Creativity.
Experience Over Stuff focuses on the inner journey first as a way to live a more simple, joyful, and purposeful life that is truly unique to you.
Simple Living Strategies to Help the Environment
For the longest time, I blamed big corporations for the climate crisis. But when I learned about simple living, I realized how much of an impact the consumerist lifestyle had on the environment. That’s when I realized, it wasn’t just the corporations that had to change, our lifestyles that kept those companies going did. Drastically.
And in turn, as I moved my focus away from things and towards experiences, I saw more beauty in the nature around me and learnt to appreciate it more.
The following are lifestyle changes that may seem challenging, but in the end will benefit both your well-being and the environment enormously.
Boycott companies that aren’t eco-friendly
There are so many products we buy without thinking about where they come from and what was put into making them. In fact, most of any item’s carbon footprint comes from its production. This is why what’s most important for the environment, is consuming products that last, and that come from companies with sustainability initiatives.
It’s worth doing some research on the products you own and then chuck and boycott anything from a company that is not doing their bit.
Cut down on mass-produced foods
The agriculture industry is the second biggest contributor to carbon emissions, after heat and electricity production. And it’s not just because chopping down trees releases carbon into the air. Think about it: all the processes and energy required for production to delivering these food products to your door. The scale of the operation is truly overwhelming.
Beef, lamb, palm oil and chocolate are some of the biggest drivers of deforestation. Even if you are able to just cut down on these ingredients, this may be the biggest way you can make real change for the environment.
Learn the terrifying truth about fast fashion
This can be a tough one for people to hear, but the fast fashion industry emits more carbon than flights and shipping put together. For many, fashion consumption is becoming an insatiable habit. But there is another way. Boycott these fast fashion stores and make sure you only get clothes built to last.
Get a smaller car
About a year ago, I was unbelievably shocked to read that if SUVs were a nation, they would be the seventh biggest contribution to climate change. For some reason, these big bulky cars had a huge growth in popularity over the last 10 years, and are offsetting all the improvements made for more fuel-efficiency in smaller cars.
Do you really need such a big car though? Even with a big family, there are alternatives to this villain of climate change. If you’re solo, why own a car at all? Cycling, public transport and car-pooling are much better for the environment and a great way to live simpler.
Become an essentialist for electricity
One of the key tenets of essentialism is, ‘I can do anything but not everything’. While electrical devices seem so fundamental to our lives now, if we look closer do we really need a tablet, a kindle, a laptop, a phone, radio and Alexa? Perhaps just the laptop will do, or just the phone. Then maybe you can make more time for outdoor hobbies instead of indoor ones that consume more electricity.
Work towards zero waste
Producing less waste is a natural progression of simple living, but also a wonderful way to help the environment. Opt for food products without packaging. Better yet, grow your own food! Also, ditch those disposable products. Disposable razors, coffee cups and plastic bags have an especially bad impact.
Remember, simple living means something different to everyone. To me, it means trying to cut down any way I can to help the environment. To you, maybe you just want to try one of these, or to gradually cut down in each area. Just make sure that you become aware of what you use and make positive changes that are manageable for you.
3 Keys to Help you Declutter Sentimental Items
Let's face it.
It's easy to discard things you don't care about.
But what about when every box you open seems to have something that makes you stroll down memory lane or even cry tears of nostalgia? It can be hard to let go even if you know you simply can't keep it all. I can be very romantic about things -- I understand how difficult it can be to let go.
If you want to become more minimalist but are feeling overwhelmed and indecisive, chances are you've had a run-in with stuff that carries emotional weight for you.
Here are 3 keys that have helped me declutter even the most sentimental of items.
1. Remember that some things thrive in circulation.
Books are the obvious example here. I'm not like Marie Kondo -- I don't think books have feelings. But I do think books were created to be in circulation and that it's sad when they're stuck on a shelf not getting read. Sure, you may have some books you love to read and re-read. Keep your favorites. But for the most part, once you're done with a book, pass it on so someone else can enjoy it. If you haven't read it in a year or two, admit that you probably don't really want to read it, and let it go. The same thought applies to many different collectible items. We all have limited attention to enjoy collections. Pass them on so other people can enjoy them.
2. Release guilt.
Guilt is a trickster.
It can masquerade as duty, tradition, or even love.
I love this quote from life coach Rosy Gill, referenced in this Redfin blog post: “Guilt takes you out of the present experience and into thoughts of failure and fear. It is essential to grieve any expectations and allow this new energy to guide you towards creating plans. There are no failures, only waves of incoming and outgoing inner tides that are necessary to our life journey.”
Often guilt kicks in when it comes to decluttering gifts from someone we love with all our heart. Remember that most people who love you would rather you embrace space and freedom than be burdened by too many possessions. Plus, you don't have to tell them you got rid of that bracelet you never wore anyway. Very few people ask or care about what happens to gifts in the long run. It really is the thought that matters -- and that magical moment of giving and receiving.
3. Photograph, miniaturize, digitize.
Take a picture:
I generally snap a quick photo on my cell phone before putting something emotionally weighty into my giveaway pile. That way I can remember it. I store all my digital photos organized by month so if I want, I can take a trip down memory lane that includes my old stuff.
Save it, but just a piece:
Miniaturizing means taking a small piece of something and turning it into art or something useful. For example, have you seen a t-shirt quilt? I've seen crafty people cut small squares out of old t-shirts and make a colorful quilt. They get rid of shirts they never wear but keep the memories AND create something to keep them warm during a Netflix binge.
Save it, but in cloud and hard drive form:
Digitizing is really the same as taking a digital photo of your item, but it also includes shooting a video for certain special items. This blog post contains a list of smart phone apps that can help you simplify your life, and includes apps that help you digitize.
I hope these three keys unlocked some major decluttering motivation for you.
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Did you find this post helpful? If so, tap the heart button below. If you want to share it, there’s a button for that too. Please share this blog as a way of helping others simplify to live their best lives.
Finally, if you haven’t signed up yet for the free 3-Day Decluttering Challenge, please do so below. You’ll get a three-day burst of inspiration and instruction, plus The Simple Sunday, my occasional newsletter on how to edit your life for more joy.
Free 2023 Goals Printable
I created a free PDF printable for you to write down your 2023 goals. This particular sheet has some advantages over conventional goal worksheets:
There’s a place to write down your word of the year so you can let one word guide you each time you look at your goals.
It’s one page. This limits us to a small list of goals for the year, making us more likely to review our goals and put only the important ones on the list.
It’s circular, which makes more sense to some creative brains. We can turn the particular category we are focusing on to the top.
In the center there is a place to write your one thing (if this gets done, all seven categories will be improved), which is my own twist on an idea from the famous self-help book The One Thing.
To download this free printable, click here.